Medical electrode
First Claim
1. A medical electrode for application to the skin of a living subject for sensing biopotentials created within the body of the subject or for electrostimulating the skin and deeper lying tissue layers, the skin of the subject having an exterior stratum corneum layer and a subsurface stratum germinativum layer, comprising:
- a generally planar carrier base member; and
a plurality of electrical signal carrying spikes integrally formed with said base member and arranged in an array thereon, said spikes being electrically and mechanically connected to each other by said base member and comprised of the same material as said base member, said spikes being electrically conductive on their surfaces, said spikes being formed to penetrate the skin of the subject and having a length sufficient to extend into the stratum germinativum of the subject.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A medical electrode for obtaining biopotentials from the skin of a subject or electrically stimulating the subject'"'"'s skin and deeper tissue layers. The electrode has a carrier base member from which project a plurality of spikes arranged in an array on one surface of the base member. The spikes are sufficiently long to penetrate through the stratum corneum into the stratum germinativum of the subject'"'"'s skin. The spikes may be formed by a deep reactive ion etching process on a silicon wafer forming the base member. A fluid container may be formed on another surface of the skin for providing a drug to the surface of the skin through holes in the base member. The action of the spikes on the skin enhances administration of the drug.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A medical electrode for application to the skin of a living subject for sensing biopotentials created within the body of the subject or for electrostimulating the skin and deeper lying tissue layers, the skin of the subject having an exterior stratum corneum layer and a subsurface stratum germinativum layer, comprising:
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a generally planar carrier base member; and
a plurality of electrical signal carrying spikes integrally formed with said base member and arranged in an array thereon, said spikes being electrically and mechanically connected to each other by said base member and comprised of the same material as said base member, said spikes being electrically conductive on their surfaces, said spikes being formed to penetrate the skin of the subject and having a length sufficient to extend into the stratum germinativum of the subject. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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- 4. The medical electrode of claim I wherein said base member is formed from a wafer element wherein said spikes are fabricated from said wafer-like element by a deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) process on said element.
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24. A method of using a medical electrode to inject a liquid drug through the stratum corneum of the subject'"'"'s skin and to electrically stimulate the skin and deeper tissue layers of the subject, the electrode having spikes insertable into the skin of the subject and having a liquid container, said method comprising the steps of:
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applying the medical electrode on the subject'"'"'s skin so the spikes penetrate the stratum corneum;
passing the liquid drug from the said liquid retainer onto the skin of the subject for injection through the stratum corneum in the penetrations created by the spikes; and
stimulating the skin and deeper tissue layers with electrical impulses applied by the spikes. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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Specification